Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Water, water everywhere...

Just a 15-20-minute drive from where we live is the beautiful little town of Bradford-on-Avon, which, as you may have gathered from its name, is on the river Avon. A stone's throw away from the river lies the canal, which runs from the Severn Estuary in Bristol to The Thames near Reading. The 200-year-old canal has more than 100 locks (!) and was, in 'olden times', used for transport.

If you stroll along the canal, which here runs parallel to the river, you soon come to Avoncliff, where you will see this old stone bridge over the river (you may spot it behind the weeping willow in the first photo above, and in the one below I have played a little with the photo on the computer, as the colours were a little dull...).

But what do you think you might find on top of this bridge...?

Yes, the canal! This stunning aqueduct really "did my head in" the first time I saw it, water going over the bridge over ... the water (and railway)! It is a beautiful area to go for walks, and many people take advantage of this lovely setting to go canoeing on the canal, or rent canal boats.

My family did not quite understand why I would want to take a photo of this old military "bunker" by the canal, but I thought the colours and the water reflection in this image made it a potential motif...

Many are the old stone bridges over the canal...

... and last summer we explored them a little more closely, when we rented a canoe and ventured out on a paddling expedition. (Image above and the two images below taken then.) As we pulled up close to the side of the canal to eat our paddling picnic sandwiches, a house boat went past us. There are many of these lining the canal, and many of them boast quite spectacular "gardens" on the roof of the boat (not the one above, though).

With young arms in charge of the paddles, this is a perfect place to perfect

steering and paddling skills, as there are no waves to negotiate.

***

Featured in Wiltshire Magazine

For those of you who happen to come across the regional magazine Wiltshire Magazine(link to the magazine website, but I don't think you can actually read any articles there), you may see a familiar face on a few pages there in the April/May issue. A "Through the Keyhole" feature from our home and a page with my offering ideas and photos of how to "bring nature inside" when decorating our homes.

How wonderful that you're featured in Wiltshire magazine - I shall definitely look out for it! I love the colour of that gorgeous Duck Egg Blue front door - I'm looking for inspiration for my own front door, so it's very timely - thank you! LOVE your blog - it's all SO pretty - and it doesn't surprise me that the magazine asked for your creative input! x

Helena,I can imagine strolling through such lovely place and happily watching the houseboats sail by or see them snuggled by their particular piece of the shoreline. Congratulations on your inclusion in the magazine.-Karen

It's pictures like these that make me think: Hmm, maybe living in the UK wouldn't really be half bad. The sad truth is that I have tried it before and came crying back home. The British countryside is so breathtakingly beautiful! I'm sure my partner, not so keen on green rolling hills and the occasional herd of sheep was really quite fed up with traveling between Bristol and London with me."Look honey, look how green the hills are.""Sure are.""Look, sheep! Did you see that?""I did.""You weren't even looking! Isn't the sky blue, it's so beautiful the green and the blue.""Yes, yes."For the whole duration of the bus ride really! Oh well, at least I can appreciate the scenery.

Amazing. I saw a TV show once about these inland waterways of England. It was very interesting. My question is, when were these canals and bridges built? Some have been around since Roman times, others since the Industrial Revolution, I am guessing. So here are these beautiful, scenic canals and bridges, fully functioning. And here I am in American where we have fifty year old bridges crumbling. Says a lot for old world construction.

can't believe it, I stayed in a most wonderful ex-bed&breakfast last summer just in the house beside the house on your water-over-bridge-photograph! and as the landlady does't serve breakfast anymore, just coffee, we had a fabulous breakfast there where all those bikes are standing. and nearby is the phantastic garden of famous garden architect harold peto which we went to see (iford manor). there was a great concert with picnic and lots of interesting people.

Dearest reader, I am sorry you have to go through the extra trouble of word verification to leave a comment here. After having received around 250 spam comments for each post recently, I have unfortunately had to add this filter.

Click on the image to visit my Interior Styling & Photography website

Welcome to my blog, where I hope to share a few glimpses of interior and garden decorating ideas and of the life of a Swede in the UK. Unable and unwilling to stick to one style, my house hosts a mix of Swedish-Danish-French country style, with a hint of New England and a whiff of the Orient. I tend to surround myself with pale, calming colours, but sometimes also flirt with a more spicy palette. With inspiration from nature, recycled items and a dose of cheeky playfulness, I try to see beauty in the little things and items that may at first appear scruffy and 'past their best'. I hope you may find some inspiration here. Välkomna!

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are my own, so please ask if you would like to borrow them, and always state the source.

Some of my photos from the Swenglish Home featured in Franciska Munck Johansen's book...

Out now - Click on the image to see where it is sold

Some of my photos in Franciska Munck Johansen's Christmas book......

Out in November 2012

Our home featured in...

April issue 2012

Our home featured in German magazine Landhaus...

July/August issue 2012

Our home featured in...

Hungarian Interior Magazin Otthon, 2013/06

Some of my photos in ...

Norwegian magazine Vakre Hjem, March 2011

Some of my ideas and photos in...

Hungarian magazine A Mi Otthonunk, Dec 2011

Some of my photos, texts and ideas in...

Wiltshire Magazine April/May 2012

Some of my work published in...

Wedding Flowers Magazine July/August 2012

Some of my work published in...

Good Homes Magazine, February 2013

The Swenglish Home is a member of...

About me

I am a forty-something Swede and I live with my familyin an 18th-century cottage in a small hamlet outside Bath in the UK. I previously lived in an early Victorian house nearby, the interior of which is the one featured here during the first four years of the Swenglish Home blog (Feb 2010 - Feb 2014). When I am not busy picking flowers by the road side or plotting a new interior project, I work as a university lecturer and consultant in Intercultural Communication.

For my work as a Communication Consultant and University lecturer, see my website: